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Panel Wavers on Screening for Poor Leg Circulation

Evidence not found to support use of 'ankle brachial index' to gauge heart risks

WebMD News from HealthDay

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By Steven Reinberg

HealthDay Reporter

TUESDAY, Sept. 3 (HealthDay News) -- A simple test of blood pressure in the ankle may help gauge heart disease risk for adults without any symptoms, but a U.S. government-appointed panel says there's not enough evidence to recommend it for routine checks.

In its final recommendation, released Tuesday, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force said it's unclear whether using the "ankle brachial index" to screen for peripheral artery disease (PAD) and assess the risk of heart disease is beneficial in people with no symptoms.

"We recognize this is a common problem and PAD afflicts many Americans," said task force co-vice chair Dr. Albert Siu. "And we recognize it's a common cardiovascular risk factor, but we don't know, in the absence of symptoms, whether this test is useful or not."

The statement by the task force, an independent panel that advises the federal government on the effectiveness of various medical interventions, doesn't apply to people with symptoms of peripheral artery disease. People with symptoms should see a doctor and be diagnosed, Siu said.

Peripheral artery disease is a narrowing of the arteries in the pelvis and legs, and like heart disease, restricts the blood supply to the heart. The condition, which becomes more common with age, often goes undiagnosed and people who have it face four to five times more risk of heart attack or stroke, according to the American Heart Association (AHA) website.

The most common symptoms are cramping, pain or tiredness in the leg or hip muscles while walking or climbing stairs. Typically, this pain goes away with rest and returns when walking again.

Peripheral artery disease is most often diagnosed with the ankle brachial index, which compares the blood pressure in the feet with the blood pressure in the arms. In healthy people, the ankle pressure is at least 90 percent of arm pressure, but in PAD it may be less than 50 percent, according to the heart association.

The task force's recommendation appears in the Sept. 3 online issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.